#TBT #FSU National Championship Game 2013 - alumna perspecitve

Thanks to young alumna Danielle Sandoz-Osmus ('05) for this fun recap of her and her (now) finance's trip to the National Championship game and the celebration in Tallahassee!
Best Wishes Danielle on your nuptials!

Tailgating reunion at a home game (preparing for championship!) with besties BH alumnae: Carly ('06), Danielle, Christy ('06), Monique ('06) and Jenna ('07)

Jacksonville, FL to Charlotte, NC, Charlotte, NC to Los Angeles, CA.  That is the path my boyfriend, Adam Mason, and I took to travel to Pasadena, CA to see the undefeated 2013 Florida State Seminoles play the number two Auburn Tigers.  Adam and I made a mini vacation out of this trip, and got to meet many interesting Seminoles along the way.  We saw tons of garnet and gold as we traveled the Doak to Dena path.  From the man on our first flight who wore his full head-dress with two foot long feathers in first class the entire way to Los Angeles, to the numerous other fans in the airport wearing their Seminole gear as they boarded their planes to Pasadena, there was garnet and gold everywhere we turned.  An excitement seemed to fill the airport, from terminal to terminal, plane to plane.  Seminoles everywhere were getting ready to take over the city of Pasadena, California. 

Adam and I were both so excited to travel to this game, as we had not missed a 2013 home game leading up to the national championship game, and had traveled to several away games as well (Clemson, Gainesville).  We are both die-hard FSU fans, and we both bleed garnet and gold.  Our passion for FSU goes so deep, it lies in our bone marrow. 

When we got to Pasadena, we immediately put our FSU flags on our rental car and tried to share our pride with the city.  The city was filled with FSU fans, and unfortunately Auburn fans too.  When it was game time, we cheered the loudest we had ever cheered.  We screamed the loudest we had ever screamed.  Our blood pressure sky rocketed, and then it would settle.  Our veins were bursting, and then they would return to normal.  During the last two minutes of the game, Adam and I stood there, quiet as a mouse, watching and waiting for Fameis Jameis to do what he does best.  I cannot even begin to describe in words the joy and happiness that came over me when we beat the Tigers.  Singing “We Are The Champions” with thousands of other Seminole Fans brought tears to my eyes.  The game was such a memorable roller-coaster of an experience, and one that I will remember for a lifetime. 

At the game - waiting for their big t.v. moment!

My boyfriend Adam and I traveled over from Jacksonville the morning of the celebration, flying our BCS National Champions flags  on our car the entire duration on I-10.  When we arrived in Tallahassee, there was a feeling of pure excitement in the air.  

We visited the new Indoor Practice Facility (IPF).  What a great facility Jimbo has built.  And to think, Jimbo won a national championship the first year he had this facility built, now that is just remarkable.  We walked by the sod cemetery as well.  What a funny site to see, we had actual small coffins built for all of the sod we collected this year.  There the poor, poor little pieces of sod sat in the coffins.  The actual set of a funeral had been set up, fake sod, chairs and a tent sat outside the plots of the newly rested pieces of sod.  

at the Doak for the celebration in Tallahassee!

The actual celebration ceremony was quite remarkable.  There were fireworks, the band, the cheerleaders, the new championship football team, President Barron and numerous other people that had come to celebrate with us.  It was later announced that over 20,000 Seminoles had come to the celebration.  Can you believe it?  That is a quarter of our stadium that can hold 82,300 people!  During the ceremony, highlights were played from the game, and this sent chills down Adam’s and my spine, as Adam and I were able to relive the moments we shared in Pasadena, right there in Doak Campbell Stadium.  They also showed a video of various other people around the country watching the game, and the same emotions during the game were felt by Seminoles everywhere. 

 After the celebration was over, we were allowed to go on the field and meet the players.  We definitely did not let this opportunity pass us up.  We did not get to meet Jameis, for he had to leave early for baseball practice, but we got to meet numerous other players and congratulate them on such a wonderful season.  I even took a selfie with Timmy Jernigan, who I got so close to for an autograph, but he got pulled away in another direction and I didn’t get to get his signature.  I cannot wait to do this all again next year!!  What an exciting time it is to be a Seminole!  The National Championship Celebration with the Seminoles was an experience I will certainly never forget.